A few years ago—July 8, 2023, to be exact—I found myself at a sports bar venue in Tempe, Arizona, meeting friends and watching a few bands play.
At that point in my life, going out wasn’t exactly second nature. Showing up with a camera and flash—something guaranteed to draw attention—felt even more uncomfortable. Getting close to performers I didn’t know, in a venue I’d never stepped foot in, pushed me far beyond what felt comfortable with - but I went.
I met up with my friends, ordered the drink to support the bar and asked the bartender for permission to shoot the show, and use flash. They were completely fine with it!! I was so nervous, but I’ve learned that kindness, respect, and a little common sense tend to open doors.
When the first musician stepped onto the small stage and began tuning his guitar, my nerves spiked. Heart racing, close to pissing my pants, I walked up and asked if he’d be okay with me taking photos of him - quite possible blinding him with the flash - during his set. He was totally cool with it!
We shook hands and formally met, he was super chill and it helped me feel much better. His name is George, and he sings and plays for a local Arizona band The Irie and I frekking love them!. Anyway, his performance—along with the others that night—was too good!
Afterward, I edited the images and sent the final photos to each band via Instagram. Along with the gallery, I included a short message: who I was, how much I enjoyed their performance, and a genuine thank you for letting me photograph them.
That part matters.
Concert photography isn’t just about access or gear or being in the pit. It’s about relationships. Real ones!
I continued shooting small bar and venue shows, slowly forming connections and building trust. Not long after—about a month later—I was invited to photograph a much larger concert at The Marquee Theatre. The headliner was a band I deeply admire: Fortunate Youth!! (To be clear, it wasn’t anyone from Fortunate Youth who invited me or even knew who I was at the time, ha!) I walked away with images of all the bands that night that I’m still so proud of! The music was SO good and every artist interaction that night felt rooted in kindness, encouragement, and gratitude.
For a long time, I subconsciously felt that famous people were untouchable—almost god-like. But through concert photography and building all of these relationships, I’ve learned how untrue that really is. They’re humans. Musicians. Artists. Just like me—only working in a different medium.
Please protect your hearing!
From the very beginning, I’ve been intentional about protecting my hearing. Live music is loud, and preserving your ability to experience it fully—both now and years from now—matters. I wear Loop Earplugs when shooting concerts because they lower the volume without distorting the sound, allowing me to stay present, focused, and comfortable in high-decibel environments.
If you’re around live music regularly—whether you’re shooting, performing, or attending—ear protection is simply part of taking care of yourself. There are so many earplugs that still allow you to fully enjoy the music, if you're not rocking out even more!
If it’s helpful,
these are the concert earplugs I use:
👉 https://us.loopearplugs.com/pages/earplugs-for-concerts
Some key things I've learned:
Touring bands frequently already have media teams traveling with them, but many are still open to issuing a media pass so you can shoot from the pit, gain experience, and build your portfolio.
In Arizona, at least, it’s usually the bands, not the venues, who handle media passes.
You can't be afraid of a high ISO.... or someone's getting beer spilled on you.
So, over time, I began researching shows I wanted to photograph and reaching out directly to bands and their managers. Sometimes it worked. Sometimes it didn’t. Much of this journey has been unpaid, and that’s often part of the early process.
I’ve photographed everything from intimate bar shows to large venues, learning how to work in unpredictable lighting, navigate dense crowds, and stay grounded in the fast-moving environments! (Btw, the. venue The Van Buren in Phoenix, AZ gets a stamp of approval for the nicest venue bathroom I've ever seen in my life!
By no means is this groundbreaking advice. It’s simply the honest unfolding of my journey as a concert photographer—one built on saying yes before I felt ready, showing up with respect, and trusting that connection matters more than credentials.
So far, it’s been really cool!
If anything, I hope this encourages you to step outside your comfort zone, and try something you've been wanting to. You never know, you might create something epic!
